


Jasmine, Primrose, and Soft Pink Petals

by Archangelsanonymous (Pattypixie)



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drunk Gabriel, Flower Language, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Miscommunication, Office Sex, Plant Nursery, Slow Burn, Time Skips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-06
Updated: 2017-05-06
Packaged: 2018-10-28 21:21:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10839687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pattypixie/pseuds/Archangelsanonymous
Summary: Gabriel and his brother run a plant nursery in the bay area and they need some help. In walks Sam, a young future botanist. Damn Cas's no fraternization rule.





	Jasmine, Primrose, and Soft Pink Petals

**Author's Note:**

> Oh wow so, this started off as a short little fic in time for spring and ended up being 11k but ya know, it happens. Enjoy!
> 
> All flower translations are in the end notes. Note: some flowers have various, sometimes even conflicting meanings.

               “So, you’ve never worked in a nursery before?” Gabriel asked, looking over the paper in front of him at the applicant on the other side of his desk. The muscle-bound, chestnut haired boy looked like he was barely 18 and the thought of that really shouldn’t have his mouth watering as much as it did.

Sam shifted in his seat a little and smiled nervously. “Well, I’ve kept a personal garden for several years while in high school. I thought it would be ideal to get a job in a nursery over the summer before starting on my degree in botany.”

“Hmm…I see,” Gabriel scanned the paper in front of him again, already knowing he was going to hire Sam. It was hard enough to get people to apply to work at a greenhouse in the summer, much less one so interested in the job. Not to mention he was not opposed to hiring someone just to ogle all summer. That was Cas’s fault for putting him in charge of interviews. “Just a couple of quick questions. Where are you studying?”

“Well, I’m just getting my generals done at the community college in town for the first two years,” Sam grinned. “Cheaper tuition.”

“So, you’d be available during the off-season?” Gabriel assumed. “It wouldn’t be full-time like the summer. Just a few hours a week.”

“Yeah, I don’t see how that would be a problem,” Sam shrugged.

“Well then, Sam,” Gabriel picked up the papers on his desk and straightened them for dramatic effect. “When would you like to start?”

“I—“ Sam’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You mean, I…”

Gabriel chuckled. “Yes, you got the job. How about tomorrow? You can train with Charlie, and I’ll be here so you can come hide in my office if Becky scares you too much.”

“Why would she scare me?” Sam asked, confused.

“She scares everyone,” Gabriel sighed. “So, tomorrow, yes?”

“Oh! Yeah, of course,” Sam stood up and grinned, holding out his hand. “Thank you so much, Mr. Novak.”

“Call me Gabriel or I’m taking the offer back,” Gabriel threatened, smiling and shaking Sam’s hand.

“No problem, Gabriel,” Sam gave him a soft smile and waved as he walked out of the office, leaving Gabriel to replay how the boy said his name over and over in his head. Gabriel groaned. He had hired his own personal torture device. His phone buzzed in his pocket and he took it out, seeing that Cas, his cousin and owner of the nursery, was calling. Gabriel swiped his thumb across the screen to accept the call and put it to his ear.

“Good news, Cassie,” Gabriel greeted. “We have a brand new peon…I mean, employee.”

“You’re supposed correct yourself faster than that,” Cas sighed. “Is he at least smarter than the usual summer crowd?”

“Going to school for botany, so I’d say so,” Gabriel recalled. “Also got a hell of a body.”

“You know the rules, Gabriel,” Cas warned. “No—“

“No fucking the help,” Gabriel sighed, rolling his eyes. “I learned my lesson after Sarah.”

“And Gina and Finn and...” Cas groaned. “ _ Alejandro _ .”

“Message received!” Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose and leaned back in his chair. “I’ll keep it in my pants.”

***

*One Year Later*

“The hell?” Gabriel walked into his office and noticed a glass vase, that had not been on his desk before, filled with a bouquet of flowers. He stepped closer to inspect them and saw it was made up of purple pansies, snowdrops, and red tulips. After several minutes of looking for some sort of note indicating where they came from, Gabriel shrugged, set his bag down, and sat down at his desk. Regardless of how they got there, he enjoyed them and the way they looked.

“Gabriel,” Cas announced, walking in. “Have you mentioned to—What’s this?” He stopped and stared at the flowers sitting on Gabriel’s desk.

“They were here when I got in,” Gabriel explained. “I thought you put them there.”

“Oh, no, that’s…um,” Cas flushed a little as he examined the bouquet. “They’re not the type of flowers I’d leave for you.”

“Well, someone did, and I like them, so they’re staying,” Gabriel declared, crossing his arms.

“That is your prerogative,” Cas sighed. “Anyway, have you mentioned to Sam that I’d like him to work on the greenhouse projects?”

“I, um…” Gabriel bit his lip and looked around Cas when he saw someone walking past his door. “Speak of the devil! Sammy! Come here!”

Sam stopped quickly and turned in to Gabriel’s office, already clad in his “Novak Nursery” tee-shirt and a pair of worn cargo shorts. He looked at Cas with a nervous smile. “Uh, am I in trouble?”

“I don’t know,” Gabriel baited, giving Sam a smirk. “Did you do something?”

“No! I just—I thought—“ Sam stuttered, eyes flicking over to the bouquet. “Do you not like them? I know it’s a little out of the blue and I get if you, you know, but…”

“You left the flowers, Sam?” Cas asked, cocking his head slightly.

“Yeah,” Sam confirmed, biting his lip. “Is it a problem?”

“What?” Gabriel exasperated, worried about making Sam upset. “Of course it’s not a problem!” Sam’s face lit up and Cas raised an eyebrow. “I love flowers! I mean, we work in a nursery. And, hey, they brighten up my office so, I don’t mind them at all.”

“So, wait, you don’t—“ Sam started to say before Cas placed a hand on his shoulder.

“I think I’ll inform Sam of his new project in my office,” Cas decided. “Do you mind opening up?”

Gabriel groaned. “Fine…”

Cas led Sam out of Gabriel’s office and into his own, just a couple yards away. He gestured for Sam to go inside, then walked in himself, closing the door behind him. “You know flower language, don’t you?” Cas accused.

Sam’s face flushed rapidly and he quickly chose to stare at his feet. “I, um…Yeah. I learned from my mother.”

“I thought so,” Cas sighed and walked behind his desk. “I’m fluent, but Gabriel has no idea that there even is a language.”

“So, you saw, but…” Sam ran a hand through his hair and looked up. “He has no idea.”

“And he won’t,” Cas declared. “I’ll keep your secret, but there is a strict no fraternization rule between employees and superiors.”

“Come on, Cas,” Sam pleaded. “You know I can be professional about it at work.”

Cas narrowed his eyes. “You’ve just proven you can’t.” Sam looked away, ashamed. “You are the best person we have working here and I refuse to lose you to something as frivolous as an attraction to your superior.”

“It’s not just—“

“Sam, please,” Cas grabbed a red folder off of his desk and came back around to stand in front of Sam. “No exceptions.” He handed the folder off to the student. “I have an important project for you to take on this summer. Maybe it will help you take your mind off of Gabriel. You’ll be working independently for the most part.”

Sam opened the folder and his eyes widened. “You want me to set up seasoned greenhouses?”

Cas smiled. “I’ve heard of it at other nurseries and having out-of-season flowers year round would really set us apart. Currently the greenhouses are being used as nothing more than warm storage. If I gave you the equipment, do you think you could handle this?”

“Cas, I…” Sam awed over the opportunity that was presented to him. This kind of hands-on experience could really help him when he went for his degree. “Yeah, of course! I’d love to do this.”

“That’s very good to hear,” Cas walked back behind his desk. “As you can see, I’ve set out tasks that I’d like completed by the end of each week. I’d like you to start on it today.”

Sam paged though the items in the folder and nodded. “Definitely do-able.” He closed the folder and smiled at Cas. “Thanks for trusting me with this.”

Cas nodded. “You’re welcome. Oh, wait,” he called as Sam turned to leave. “Here are the keys,” Cas rooted around in his desk and pulled out a keyring. He handed it to Sam and sighed. “Also, if Gabriel likes the flowers, then…You can keep giving them to him. Just keep it platonic, please.”

Sam’s blush came back a little, but he nodded. “Yeah, of course.” He turned and walked out of the office, pocketing the keyring and clutching the folder to his chest. God, he couldn’t get Gabriel out of his mind, but it made sense why Cas had the rule. It was just stupid when applied to him. At least Cas gave him something to focus on, and he could attempt to get over Gabriel. Sam sighed. He was probably straight anyway.

“Hey, kiddo, whatcha got there?”

Sam looked up at the sound of Gabriel’s voice, and noticed he was walking toward him. “Oh, uh, just the project Cas wanted me to work on,” he revealed, holding up the folder.

“Ah, yeah, the greenhouses,” Gabriel grinned. “Need a hand?”

“Don’t you have, like, boss things to do?” Sam asked, internally chastising himself for the weak attempt at keeping Gabriel away.

“Nah,” Gabriel brushed the question off with a wave of his hand. “Anything I don’t do, Cassie will just do. Normally he redoes the stuff I do get done anyway.”

Sam shrugged. “Well, if you’re really not busy, I guess I could use the help.”

“Come then, my favorite distraction,” Gabriel anointed, linking his arm under Sam’s before starting to walk towards the back of the nursery. Once they arrived at the first greenhouse, Sam had to will himself to breathe after Gabriel had been walking so close to him. He pulled the keys out of his pocket and fumbled with them until he found the correct one. Grinning at Gabriel, he opened the door and found the greenhouse already occupied with a menagerie of items.

“What is all of this stuff?” Sam awed, stepping forward to inspect what looked like a dress molly.

“Oh shit, I forgot about all this,” Gabriel said, opening a box that had been lightly coated in a mixture of dust and soil. “I might have to ask Cas about it.”

“Is it his?” Sam turned to see Gabriel holding up a set of floral curtains.

Gabriel sighed. “Sort of,” he looked up at Sam and gave a sad smile. “Got time for a story, Sammich?”

Sam looked around and noticed an ottoman covered with a cloth. He moved a box off of it and sat down on one side. “Here,” Sam gestured. “There’s enough room.”

Gabriel couldn’t move fast enough to sit down next to Sam. Being so close almost made him forget what they were doing and where they were until he looked around. “Alright,” Gabriel took a deep breath. “Once upon a time, there was a little boy named Gabriel.” He pointed at himself and Sam smiled. “He was a happy little boy with loving parents. His favorite aunt and baby cousin, Cas, used to come over every weekend and spend time with him. One night, his aunt and cousin came over while his parents went out for a date night. Thanks to a drunk driver, they never came home.”

“Gabriel,” Sam’s arm twitched, itching to move around Gabriel’s shoulders in comfort, but he held back. “That’s horrible. I had no idea.”

“It was a long time ago,” Gabriel sighed, then flashed a sad smile at Sam. “I barely remember them. What I do remember is Amelia Novak taking me in and raising me with Cas. This nursery was hers. Taught us everything we know. A few years ago, she got really sick and when she passed away, Cas took it really hard. ”

“So, this stuff is all hers?” Sam looked around again, noticing covered racks of clothing and boxes marked “toys” or “kitchen”.

Gabriel took a look around as well. “Yeah. I had wondered what Cas had done with everything. I assumed he had donated it all but, I guess he just couldn’t part with it.”

“You should talk to him,” Sam suggested. “He probably forgot about this when he planned the projects.”

“I will,” Gabriel stood up and stretched his arms above his head, a bit of stomach peeking out from under his shirt. “For now, do you mind just working with Charlie on markdowns?”

Sam could feel himself leaning forward as he thought about kissing the strip of Gabriel’s skin that became visible for a couple seconds, then quickly straightened himself up. “Uh, yeah, of course,” Sam stood up and tugged at the hem of his shirt. “By the way, if you ever want to talk about anything, my mom died when I was really little too, so I can relate. I was basically raised by my brother since my dad hit the bottle pretty hard after she died.”

“I guess we both unlocked each other’s tragic backstories today,” Gabriel smiled softly. “I’ll see you later, Sammy.”

“See ya,” Sam raised his hand in a small wave as Gabriel walked out. He took a deep breath and blew it out, running a hand through his hair. It was crazy to think that Gabriel had such a sad past. It only made him want to comfort and hold him even more. Sam took one more glance at the packed greenhouse, then left, closing and locking the door behind him. As he spun the keyring around his finger, Sam smiled. It was enough just to know Gabriel.

***

“GABRIEL!”

Gabriel looked up from his paperwork and poked his head around the vase of this week’s flowers (pink Peruvian lilies, dog rose, and ivy falling over the sides) to see Sam absolutely doused in water. His white shirt and hair clung to his skin and Gabriel forced himself to think of Barbara Walters naked just to will his imminent boner away.

“Um…I think you need a towel, Samsquatch,” Gabriel suggested, grinning.

Sam huffed and flipped his wet hair out of his face, spraying the door jam. “The sprinkler system Cas ordered isn’t working right.”

Gabriel sighed and got up, gesturing Sam to move out of the way so he could follow. “I told him that getting a system from Japan wasn’t a good idea.”

“What?” Sam pushed his wet hair back, out of his face. “Why did he order it from Japan?”

“He assumed it was a good system because of the little, happy, animated plants,” Gabriel explained. “Apparently ‘they wouldn’t make the plants look so happy if they weren’t, Gabriel’.”

“Your cousin can be a bit of an idiot sometimes, can’t he?” Sam concluded, causing Gabriel to burst out laughing.

“Yes, but I wouldn’t say that to his face,” Gabriel advised as they got to the greenhouse. He and Cas had cleaned out the greenhouse about a week before, and going through the stuff had been almost therapeutic for them. It took a couple days due to finding things and reminiscing, but eventually the stuff was either donated or moved back to Cas’s house. The greenhouse had been left mostly bare with just a few permanent soil boxes lining the walls…until now. Sam was right about the system. Even with the drains, the greenhouse was flooded and water was still coming out of the sprinklers from every direction. Gabriel groaned. “I hate getting wet.”

Sam playfully punched Gabriel’s arm. “Come on, you won’t melt.”

“Bitch, I might,” Gabriel argued.

“Well,” Sam quickly stepped behind Gabriel, “let’s find out.” He pushed Gabriel into the greenhouse, the surprise combined with Sam’s strength propelling him forward. Gabriel let out a squeal as the water hit him, and Sam doubled over in laughter.

“I hate you,” Gabriel declared, standing in the middle of the greenhouse looking defeated as water soaked though his clothing. He huffed as Sam continued to fall apart. “Stop laughing! I really do!” He moved to push Sam over, but overestimated how much force it would take. Sam fell over easily, but Gabriel’s body kept going and he quickly found himself on top of the other man. He quickly scrambled to his hands and knees and noticed he was straddling Sam, their faces mere inches away. Gabriel’s breath caught in this throat as he looked down at Sam, who definitely wasn’t laughing anymore. His eyes flitted over Sam’s face, trying to be careful not to focus too long on his lips, but God, they were so soft and pink and ready to kiss.

“Gabriel…” Sam breathed, taking every ounce of willpower he had not to reach up and touch the man on top of him. He was almost overwhelmed with how Gabriel stared down at him, his hair curtaining around his face and dripping off the ends. Sam’s hand quivered at his side, begging to reach up and brush his hair back then pull him down into—

“I, um...” Gabriel scrambled off of Sam quickly and stood up, clearing his throat. “My bad.” He brushed himself off out of nervousness, even though he was soaked.

Sam sat up, not quite trusting himself to stand quite yet and pushed his hair back. “It’s fine. Totally fine.”

“So, where’s the manual?” Gabriel asked, trying to look anywhere except at Sam.

“Over by the ladder,” Sam sighed, gesturing to the middle of the building. “It’s probably soaked also.”

Gabriel walked over and gingerly picked up the small paper booklet that had come with the system. “Alright. Probably should get this dry first,” he sighed. Sam got up and moved over to stand in front of Gabriel.

“Hey, I’m sorry I pushed you in here,” Sam apologized, not bothering to hide the smile tugging at his lips.

“Liar,” Gabriel grinned. “Sorry for pushing you over.”

“Liar,” Sam repeated, noticing he was staring at Gabriel again, but starting to care less and less about the implications.

“What are you two doing?”

Both of their heads turned to see Cas standing in the doorway, clipboard in his hand. Sam stepped back a bit and cleared his throat, “The system you ordered has been a bit harder to install than expected.”

Cas narrowed his eyes, then stepped away. Sam looked over at Gabriel, who shrugged at him. A few seconds later, water stopped raining down on them and they both looked up to see what had happened. Cas returned and sighed, grabbing their attention again. “Do you think you can figure out what’s wrong without running up the bill? Water shutoff is on the side of the building.” He moved to walk away, then stopped and looked over at Sam. “Oh, and I’d like you to check the  _ lemon _ trees for  _ blossoms _ later.”

Sam clenched his jaw and nodded. “Of course. I also have some questions about the  _ snapdragons _ to ask you.”

“Very well,” Cas tapped his pen on the clipboard, glanced at Gabriel, then walked off.

“I love snapdragons,” Gabriel mentioned, causing Sam to turn and give him a confused look. “Cuz you had questions? I can help, if you need it.”

“Oh,” Sam shook his head, “don’t worry about it. It’s just a thing between me and Cas.”

“That sounds fake, but okay,” Gabriel teased. “Come on. Let’s call it a day on this thing. I’ll lock up and, you go home and dry yourself off. We can pick it up tomorrow when everything is dry again.” He held up the wet papers and Sam nodded.

“Yeah, good idea,” Sam agreed. “I suppose I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

Gabriel watched Sam turn to go and sighed. That boy was destined to ruin him. He locked up the greenhouse, then trudged back to his office, hearing his feet squish in his shoes with every step. Once he got in, he dismantled the booklet and laid the papers out so that they would dry overnight. He finished laying out the last page and looked up to see Cas in the doorway.

“You need to be more careful with Sam,” Cas declared.

“Your tact is astounding,” Gabriel rolled his eyes and ran both hands through his hair.

“I’m serious,” Cas continued. “We’re never going to find another worker like him. I don’t need you—“

“I know, Cas!” Gabriel shouted. He took a breath and grabbed his bag. “I’m going home for the day. Call me if you need me.” He shoved his way past Cas and walked away, still leaving a trail of wet shoeprints and water drops in his wake. Cas shook his head and went to his office. Keeping Gabriel and Sam separated was proving harder than he thought.

***

Gabriel stretched his arms over his head and groaned a little at the stiffness leaving his back. Cas was gone on some kind of conference for the week and had left Gabriel in charge, which meant way more paperwork than he was used to. He checked the time and noticed it was about time to make the rounds and be sure that everything was running smoothly. So far, there hadn’t been any major crises, and luckily, Sam and Charlie could handle most issues between them. Gabriel got up, taking a moment to smell the bouquet of motherwort, yellow impatiens, and daffodils that Sam had put out for him that week, and walked out of the office, heading toward the front of the store. Anna and Charlie were manning the registers, since Charlie was the only person that seemed capable of keeping Anna on task for any given amount of time. Charlie was with a guest but waved as he walked by, and Gabriel smiled. He walked to the back of the store, where they kept the decorations and potted trees. Hannah and Becky were currently stocking, and he noticed Hannah smiling and nodding as Becky rambled on about nonsense as usual. Gabriel was sure Hannah had the patience of a saint…or five. He saw Hannah struggling with a particularly heavy angel statuary and walked over to help.

“Oh, thank you,” Hannah offered sweetly as Gabriel gave her a hand.

“No problem,” Gabriel said. “Just had to get out of my office for a bit.” They moved the statue over to the other side of the room and set it down. “That the only one?”

“Yeah, they’ve been pretty popular,” Hannah explained. “I’m kinda hoping we don’t get any more in, though.” She giggled and Gabriel smiled. The sound of hammering caught his attention and he looked up. Out one of the windows, he had a clear view of one of the greenhouses, where Sam was working on creating more soil boxes. He was wearing one of his older company shirts that had the sleeves cut off to keep him cool, and had his hair pulled back. As Sam hammered, he blew away the few loose strands that had fallen into his face and Gabriel was sure he had never seen anything sexier in his life.

“Ugh, I can’t believe he’s gay!” Becky blurted out, sidling up to Gabriel.

“Excuse me?” Gabriel asked, curious as to who she was talking about.

“Sam!” Becky crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. “Such a tragedy for straight ladies everywhere.”

“Sam is gay?” Gabriel’s eyes widened as he looked over at Sam, who chose that moment to wipe the sweat off his brow with a bandana.

“Yeeeah,” Becky dragged out the word as if Gabriel wasn’t understanding. “I asked him out like, the first day and he said he wasn’t into girls.”

Gabriel rolled his eyes. Admittedly, he would have probably said the same thing just to get Becky off of his back. “Anyone else know?”

“Charlie,” Becky confessed. “She’s got mad gay-dar.”

Gabriel quickly turned on his heel, marching back to the front of the store. He had to know if it was true, and he knew Charlie wouldn’t lie to him. Luckily, there was a lull in customers, so Gabriel slid in behind the counter and confronted the redhead.

“Uh, hey Gabe,” Charlie greeted, a little confused. “Everything okay?”

“Sam,” Gabriel blurted. “Is he gay?”

A grin slowly crept onto Charlie’s face. “Does it matter?”

“Yes!” Gabriel answered before he could think. “I mean, no, It’s just…” He shook his head. “Never mind. Forget I asked.”

“You like him,” Charlie teased, keeping her voice low.

“I swear to god, Charles, I will put hemlock in your coffee,” Gabriel threatened.

Charlie covered her mouth with her hands and bounced with glee. “You guys would be so cute! I’m shipping it so hard right now.”

“Is that a ‘yes’ on him being gay, then?” Gabriel asked again.

“Oh yeah,” Charlie waved a hand at him. “Dude is about as straight as a rainbow. Caught him checking out your ass more than once.”

Gabriel felt his face flush. “Really?”

“Oh my god, you are so gone, aren’t you?” Charlie accused.

Gabriel frowned. “If you mention a word of this to anyone, especially Cas, no one will ever find your body. You know how much murder porn I watch.”

“I can keep a secret,” Charlie said. “Just be sure to invite me to the wedding.” She winked and Gabriel rolled his eyes.

“Get back to work,” Gabriel grumbled, walking off. As he stepped away, he could hear Charlie giggle and felt his face heat up again. It was enough that Cas was aware of something going on, but now Charlie knew about his gigantic crush on Sam. At least he knew that both of them could keep it quiet. Gabriel wasn’t sure whether it made it better or worse knowing Sam was gay. At least when he thought Sam was straight, he knew he could never have a shot. Now, the road of possibilities was laid out in front of him with a giant road block manned by his cousin. Gabriel grew frustrated. Why was it such a big deal anyway? Sam wasn’t like the others. Cas had to see that. If only there was some way he could—

“Woah, Gabriel, you okay?”

Gabriel looked up to see that while he was lost in thought, he had made his way to the greenhouse Sam was working in. “Uh,” he ran a hand though his hair and sighed. “Sorry. It’s complicated.”

Sam set his tools down and wiped his hands off with his bandanna. “Wanna talk about it?”

“I don’t know if I can,” Gabriel bit his bottom lip. “I mean, I would but, you know, Cas and…”

“Do you like coffee?” Sam asked.

Gabriel’s eyes widened. Was this actually happening? “I, um…”

Sam took off his tool belt and set it to the side. “It sounds stupid, but when I get upset or frustrated about something, I go to Starbucks and get a huge frappachino.” He smiled and shrugged. “Never fails to cheer me up a little.”

“That sounds amazing,” Gabriel admitted, already picturing the drink piled with whipped cream and syrup. “Let’s take the delivery van.” In an attempt to avoid the rest of the staff, they snuck out the back of the nursery where a white van with “Novak Nursery” emblazoned on the side was waiting. Gabriel took out his keys and climbed in the driver’s seat while Sam got in on the passenger’s side. They rode to the coffee shop in relative silence, but it was far from uncomfortable. Gabriel glanced at Sam a few times, smiling at how relaxed he was. Sam’s window was down, and he hung his arm outside of it, against the door, while he closed his eyes and leaned back against the headrest. He had been working hard the past few weeks, getting the greenhouses ready, and Gabriel knew he deserved this. When Gabriel pulled into the parking lot, Sam opened his eyes and smiled.

“Should we get it to go?” Sam asked as Gabriel pulled into a parking space.

“Yeah, probably,” Gabriel sighed, ignoring his craving to spend time with Sam away from the nursery. He shut off the van and got out, following Sam to the door. Sam opened it for him and Gabriel tried to ignore the small pang it caused in his chest. After they got to the register and ordered (a low-fat, sugar-free caramel frap with no whip for Sam, and an all-fat, all-sugar mocha frap with extra drizzle for Gabriel) Sam went to pull out his wallet but Gabriel held his hand up. “I got this. You’ve been killing yourself in those greenhouses. You deserve it.”

“Thanks,” Sam muttered, smiling sheepishly. Gabriel paid and they stepped to the side to wait for their drinks.

“So, I never asked,” Gabriel spoke up. “Why botany?”

Sam chuckled a little. “It’s a little angsty.”

“The best stories are. Tell me and I’ll tell you what I originally went to school for,” Gabriel baited.

“Hmm…alright,” Sam agreed. “My mom was really into gardening and our backyard was known county-wide. She taught herself everything and kept dozens of journals on different plants, what they could be used for, how to grow them…Stuff like that. When she died, my dad hid them along with the rest of her things. The garden that she had worked so hard on fell to ruin, and my dad just mowed over the top of most of it.” Gabriel cringed at the thought and Sam nodded. “Yeah, it was pretty bad. One night, a few years ago, my brother was out and my dad was passed out on the couch, so I went searching for mom’s stuff. I found all the journals, pictures, and awards my mom had won stuffed in the back of my dad’s closet. I snuck them all out and hid them in my own closet, and I’ve been studying ever since, trying to recreate her work.”

“Doesn’t your dad notice the garden?” Gabriel inquired. The barista called their order and he walked over to claim the drinks.

“Dad doesn’t notice anything,” Sam explained, grabbing his drink and starting to walk out of the store. “Dean…Well, he claimed not to care, but every now and then I catch him out there, talking to the flowers like they’re mom. Eventually, I’d like to open my own nursery in her honor.”

“That’s really amazing, Sammy,” Gabriel smiled, opening the door to the van and getting in. Sam closed the door behind him and took a sip as Gabriel started the engine.

“So, spit it out,” Sam said. “What did you go to school for?”

Gabriel grinned as he pulled out of the lot. “You’ll never believe me.”

“Come on,” Sam whined. “I believe I have leveled up enough to unlock more of your backstory, tragic or not.”

“I was pre-med at Stanford,” Gabriel confessed.

“What? No,” Sam scoffed.

“I was!” Gabriel confirmed. “Amelia was a die-hard Dr. Sexy fan, and the dude was my idol. I wanted to be just like him. Once I got in and started, I hated it. As horrible as it was, Amelia’s death gave me the out I needed. I had to drop out to help Cas run the nursery. At first, Cas was going to sell the place but I convinced him that it was a blessing in disguise that I was forced to leave school.”

“You wanted to be Dr. Sexy?” Sam snorted, barely stifling laughter.

“Excuse you, but I can rock the shit out of a lab coat and some cowboy boots,” Gabriel grinned over at Sam. They spent the rest of the ride back bathed in the same comfortable silence that Gabriel was sure he could only have with Sam. When Gabriel finished parking in the back of the nursery, he turned off the van and looked down at his drink. “This actually helped a lot. Thanks.”

Sam smiled and put a hand on Gabriel’s shoulder. “Anytime.”

Gabriel looked up and smiled back at Sam, enjoying the heat radiating down his arm. They held each other’s gaze for several moments, and Gabriel could feel something bringing them closer. It felt just like the moment in the greenhouse and Gabriel could feel the hold he had on his feelings loosen the longer they stayed in the van. He had just started to lean towards Sam when the driver’s door opened. Sam’s hand retracted as if burned and Gabriel shot back in the seat.

“Uh,” Charlie raised an eyebrow as she looked at Gabriel, then past him at Sam. “I have to make a delivery. You two done sneaking off to Starbucks?”

Sam ducked his head and blushed as Gabriel took a sip of his frappachino, narrowing his eyes at Charlie. “Yeah, I guess,” he sighed, handing over the keys. Gabriel slid out of the van and Charlie leaned into Gabriel’s space.

“I wasn’t interrupting anything, was I?” Charlie whispered before pulling back and revealing a huge grin.

Gabriel huffed. “No, obviously.” He quickly walked away, making a bee-line to his office.

“Hey! Gabriel, wait!” Sam called after him, jogging to catch up. Gabriel stopped and turned as Sam stopped next to him. “This was kinda great. We should do it again.”

“Yeah, of course,” Gabriel replied, without thinking.

“Awesome,” Sam grinned. “I should probably get back to the greenhouse, though.” He pointed over his shoulder with his thumb.

“I have some work to finish, too,” Gabriel smiled. Both of them stood there for a moment, fingers rubbing against the sides of their cups anxiously, silently wishing the other would stop them from having to leave each other’s presence.

“I—“

“Wo—“

Gabriel chuckled a little. “I’ll see you later then, Sam-A-Lam.”

“Yeah, of course,” Sam shook his head a little, then waved as he jogged off toward the greenhouse. Gabriel watched him until he turned the corner and took a sip of his drink. Holy shit, he was fucked.

***

“He seriously asked that?” Gabriel covered his nose and mouth, afraid that his last sip of frappachino was going to come out of it.

“Yeah!” Sam laughed. “Apparently he wasn’t aware that even cacti need water to survive.” He took a sip of his drink and kicked his legs back up on the edge of Gabriel’s desk. “I also had to inform him that our return policy is only one week, not one year.”

Gabriel burst out laughing, frantically trying to catch his breath. “People can be so stupid!”

Sam watched as Gabriel laughed and succumbed to the uncontrollable butterfly feeling in his stomach and chest. Gabriel was always beautiful but it was when he laughed that he was truly immaculate. Sam couldn’t get enough. His eye caught the flower vase and he noticed that he hadn’t replaced the ones he had put out there the week before. “Hey, be right back,” Sam smiled, setting his drink on the desk and getting up.

“Okay?” Gabriel agreed, confused as to where Sam was headed off to so quickly. After several minutes, he expected that Sam wasn’t going to return and turned his computer back on. He sighed and poked through the various emails he had, only vaguely registering what they were about. About a half hour later, Sam came in through the door, panting a little.

“Sorry that took so long! I was just getting something, then there was a customer, then Charlie just…” Sam took a deep breath and held up a bouquet made of cowslip, larkspur, and yellow tulips. “I didn’t replace your flowers yet.”

Gabriel’s attempt at containing the emotions he was feeling translated to just staring at Sam with his mouth slightly open. “Um, yeah, you hadn’t done that.”

Sam smiled and took the old flowers out of the vase. He set them to the side to take to compost later, then put the new flowers in. “I’ll come back to replace the water a little later.” He fluffed the bouquet a bit, then sighed and grabbed his drink. “Charlie needs me out there, but thanks for listening.”

“Anytime, Samster,” Gabriel smiled. “You know that.”

“Yeah, I do,” Sam could feel his face flush as he stared at Gabriel, so he turned away. “See you later!”

Gabriel watched Sam walk out the door and set about trying to make sense of the whiplash of emotion he was feeling. He stared at the flowers and started to calm down. To be honest, until Sam had started to put them on his desk, Gabriel had outright rejected the idea of having plants in his office. It was supposed to be a bit of a refuge, since growing things was their business. Now, they were welcomed because all they did was remind him of Sam. Gabriel was still staring at the bouquet when Cas walked in.

“Gabriel, do you have the numbers for last month yet?” Cas asked, sighing.

“Uh, I was just about to finish them up,” Gabriel fibbed. “Sam just came in to replace my flowers.”

Cas looked at the bouquet and clenched his jaw. “I see. Just get them to me when you’re done.” He walked off, making his way towards the herb section. This was getting out of control. He searched the section for the herb he needed and huffed when he noticed the empty stock. Well, this would at least give Cas a reason to bring it up in conversation. Cas headed back out to the greenhouse that Sam was working on. He had recently moved to fix up the second greenhouse, the first one finally completed and ready for spring flowers to be planted.

“Sam,” Cas announced, walking in. “I need something restocked. Immediately.”

“Yeah, sure,” Sam smiled and set down the sprinkler he was working on. “What is it?”

“Marjoram,” Cas narrowed his eyes. “See to it that it doesn’t get out of hand.”

Sam frowned and crossed his arms. “I hadn’t noticed, but I don’t really keep them. They’re easily overrun with thistles.”

“Just take care of it,” Cas concluded, walking away from the greenhouse. “Thistles,” he mumbled, shaking his head.

***

Sam was tempted to call it the “War of Roses”, even though there were none involved. He smirked as he laid the pasqueflower across Cas’s keyboard. No one else had noticed the dissonance that had arisen between Sam and Cas, and even Gabriel commented on how it was nice that they were working together more. While it was nice to know someone that also knew the language, he’d prefer it not to be in such a confrontational way. Negative flowers and plants were definitely not as aesthetically pleasing as positive ones.

Over the past few months, he had come into the greenhouse to find a flower or plant on his work bench. Some of the highlights had been buttercups, tuberose, scarlet geraniums, and a pomegranate. Sam had since been sending his own messages by leaving replies on Cas’s desk. Besides the pasqueflower, he had left tansys, hydrangeas, rue, and even a sprig of mistletoe.

A day after Sam had left the pasqueflower, Cas came to the third greenhouse. “I believe it’s time for us to actually talk.”

Sam stepped down from the ladder where he was installing the sprinkler system. “I think we’ve been communicating just fine.”

“Sam,” Cas sighed, “I’m not happy with the way things progressed between us. In fact, I’m rather ashamed.”

“I guess it has been a little childish,” Sam agreed.

“I think I have a couple things to come clean about,” Cas admitted. “While fraternization between a supervisor and a subordinate is a very real concern, I’m also worried otherwise. Gabriel doesn’t have a great track record when it comes to dating, and he’s broken this rule several times. In fact, that’s the reason I made it.”

Sam’s eyes widened. “He’s dated other employees before?”

“Yes,” Cas continued, “and all of them ended very badly.”

“Listen, if you’re telling me this just because—“

Cas held a hand up. “I don’t want to see you hurt, Sam. This job has always just been temporary for you, and while I would do anything in my power to keep you here, I want you to follow your dreams. You need to spend this time before you leave cutting ties, not growing roots.”

Sam grasped one of the legs of the ladder and looked down at the ground as what Cas said washed over him. In a way, he was right. This was only temporary. He barely had six months before he had to put in his two weeks. He had already been accepted at his college of choice. Even if Gabriel did have feelings toward him, it would be unfair to ask him to move for him, or even worse, to wait. “Can I still leave him flowers?”

“Yes,” Cas conceded. “It was overbearing of me to limit what you could give him when he doesn’t even know what they mean. I won’t say anything about it again.”

“Thank you,” Sam smiled solemnly at Cas. “I’ll back off.”

Cas nodded and turned to walk out. “Oh, and your work with the greenhouses has been phenomenal,” he smiled back at Sam. “You really have a gift for this.” When Sam didn’t answer, he continued out of the greenhouse and back to his office.

The next day, when he walked by Gabriel’s office, he noticed a single stalk of butterfly weed in the vase.

***

Gabriel smiled as he walked into his office, a new bouquet of flowers sitting in the vase that he kept on his desk. This week, it seemed to be an arrangement of michaelmas daisies, pink forget-me-nots, and pink carnations. Gabriel set his bag down behind his desk, pushed the power button on his computer, and sat back in his chair as the machine booted up. His phone buzzed in his pocket and he took it out to check the notification. He groaned when he read it.

“You got a sec?”

Gabriel looked up to see Sam, clad in a tank-top and shorts, peeking in the doorway, and smiled. “For you, I have whole minutes,” he joked, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk. “I like the new flowers, by the way.”

Sam returned the smile softly and sat down. “Good. The nots are from the spring greenhouse. I think I’ve finally got the temperature and humidity just right in it.”

“And thanks for the reminder that it’s perennial season,” Gabriel held up his phone and shook it. “Just got the text from Cas.”

“Yeah, where has he been lately?” Sam asked, crossing his arms over his chest and settling into the chair.

Gabriel found himself having to tear his eyes away from the way Sam’s arms flexed, and cleared his throat. “I’m not sure. He’s been mentioning some kind of pet project. Who knows?” Gabriel spilled, willing himself to focus on his computer monitor. He currently had a serious love-hate relationship with how hot of a summer it had been. On one hand, the heat was killing him, but on the other, Sam was prone to wear as little as possible.

“So, I did really need to talk to you about something,” Sam admitted, looking down and nibbling his bottom lip out of nervousness.

“Jeez, Sammich, don’t need to make it sound like you’re breaking up with me,” Gabriel joked.

Sam laughed nervously, uncomfortable with how close Gabriel’s statement actually was to the truth. “That may be easier,” He smiled at Gabriel and received a laugh in return.

“Harsh! Alright,” Gabriel sighed, catching his breath. “What’s really up?”

“It’s been two years,” Sam blurted out. “Since you hired me, it’s been two years. Well…more like two and a half.”

Gabriel looked confused. “Uh, happy anniversary? Did you want a raise?”

Sam released his arms from in front of him and ran one hand through his hair. “I didn’t mention it, but I got my generals done in the spring. I was accepted at Humboldt State.”

“Oh, well that’s…” Gabriel struggled to find the words to congratulate Sam when his heart felt like it was falling out of his chest. “That’s great, Sammy,” he finally replied, faking a smile. “I’m proud of you.”

Sam smiled back sheepishly. “So, I guess this is my two weeks’ notice. Unless you need something written?”

Gabriel waved his hand. “Nah, don’t worry about it. I’ll let Cas know.”

“Well, I have to go open up,” Sam clapped his hands on his knees and stood up. “Need anything before I go?”

“Not right now, Samster,” Gabriel flashed him another fake smile before Sam walked out, then let his face fall once the student was out of sight. He set his elbows on the desk and buried his head in his hands. How could he have forgotten? Of course, Sam was never going to stay. He had always talked about his dream of opening his own nursery, and Gabriel was stupid enough to imagine that they could open one together. Tears started to form in his eyes as the news really sunk in. Stupid Cas and his stupid rules about no fraternization. Sam wasn’t like the other people Gabriel had “fraternized” before. He saw a future with Sam, jetpacks and all. Now, it was just a desolate, post-apocalyptic wasteland.

“Gabriel,” Cas addressed, walking into the office without warning.

“Jesus, Cas,” Gabriel quickly wiped as much of his tear-streaked face as he could. “Knock much?”

“Were you, um..,” Cas’s eyes flicked to the flowers in the vase, then narrowed them at Gabriel. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Gabriel spat. “What is it?”

“I have some news,” Cas started. “I know I’ve been secretive about what I’ve been working on, but I’m happy to announce that I have closed a deal on a location for a second nursery on the other side of town. I’ll be starting work there on Monday.”

“That’s awesome!” Gabriel stood up and came around his desk to embrace his cousin. “Gonna suck commuting between both every day, though.”

Cas took a breath as Gabriel stepped back. “I’m aware. That’s why I’ve chosen to put you in charge of this one. Any major executive decisions will still go through me, but I will rely and depend on you to take over nearly all responsibilities at this location.”

“Cassie…” Gabriel ran a hand through his hair. “I can’t run my own nursery. There’s no way. Everyone knows that you’re the only thing keeping this place afloat.”

“I have nothing but confidence in you, Gabriel,” Cas smiled and clapped a hand on his cousin’s shoulder. “I do have an idea for something that will help you, though.”

“Care to share with the class?” Gabriel inquired, on the verge of a mild panic attack. God, he hated Thursdays.

“I haven’t confirmed it yet, so I’d rather not say until I’m certain,” Cas explained.

Gabriel sighed and rubbed his palms over his face vigorously, then dragged them down slowly, catching his fingers on his bottom lip and pulling it a little. “Alright,” he sighed once his hands were clear. “Oh and another thing. Sam put in his two weeks’ notice.”

“I assumed as much,” Cas stated, walking over to the desk and lightly touching the petals of one of the purple daisies. “He’s been a strong asset.”

“In more ways than one,” Gabriel joked, letting a small smile slip. “I suppose that means I have to hire some new people?”

“Oh, yes,” Cas agreed. “I had almost forgotten. I will be taking Hannah, Balthazar, Jo, and Charlie with me to the new store to get it started.”

“Ay!” Gabriel protested. “That only leaves me with Anna, who is absolutely useless at following directions,” he started ticking them off on his fingers, “Meg, who either wants to fuck me or kill me—still unclear on that one—and Becky, who…is Becky.”

“You’ll have Sam,” Cas reminded him.

“Yeah! For only two more weeks!” Gabriel huffed, crossing his arms.

“Better get hiring then,” Cas smirked and moved towards the door.

Gabriel threw his middle finger up at Cas as he walked out, then turned and returned to his desk. He plopped himself in the chair and looked up, groaning. Today had to be a nightmare. There was no other explanation as to why everything had decided to go to shit so spectacularly all at once. Gabriel rubbed the heels of his palms into his eyes, willing himself to wake up. When he lifted his hands away, he blinked a few times to check if he had been transported back to his bedroom, but alas, he found himself still sitting in his office. Cas was still putting him in charge with a skeleton crew. Sam was still leaving. Gabriel sighed and sat up, waking up his computer. Maybe it was for the best. The extra work would distract him from thinking about Sam, and he would be able to distance himself to make things easier. As easy as it could be, at least.

***

“I’m sure you’ve all heard the news by now,” Gabriel announced, standing with what little staff he had left. “Cas is opening a new nursery on the other side of town and taking half of your co-workers. We’ll be hiring some new people soon, but until then its double duty for everyone.” Everyone groaned and Gabriel took out a folded paper and opened it. “Alright so, Meg, since it’s that time of year, today I need you on bulb duty,” he read. “Sort them, throw out bad ones…Make it look better than it usually does.” Meg shot him a sneer before walking off, popping her gum. “Anna, just stick to the usual. Ringing people up and answering questions.”

“Can I—“ Anna started.

“No, but you’ll probably do it anyway so, whatever,” Gabriel sighed. “Becky…Wait, You’re not even supposed to be here today.”

“I just love it here SO MUCH,” Becky grinned, stealing glances at Sam every few milliseconds. Gabriel clenched his jaw a bit, then looked down.

“Right, well, I’m not paying you for today so, do what you want,” Gabriel ran his finger down the list. “And that’s it, I think…”

“Uh, Gabriel?” Sam waved a little. “Anything you need me to do?”

“Yeah, yeah, of course,” Gabriel tried to think of the furthest place from his office. “I need you on deliveries.”

Sam frowned. “Seriously? You know I hate doing those.”

Gabriel folded up his paper, then crossed his arms. “Well, that’s too bad, kiddo. We all have to pull a little extra weight around here, especially since you’re leaving too.” He turned his back to Sam and started walking towards his office when he felt a hand on his shoulder. The hand had enough power to turn him around, and he knew before he was though the full 180 that he would be facing Sam again.

“What’s up with you?” Sam asked. “You seemed fine earlier.”

“A lot has happened between then and now,” Gabriel huffed.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Sam offered, like he had done in the past. It usually ended up with a run to Starbucks, returning to his office so Gabriel could rant about one thing or another, and Sam actively listening while they sipped frappachinos. Gabriel would never be able smell caramel again without thinking of Sam.

“No, Sam,” Gabriel spat, then took a deep breath. “Just…Do like I asked. I have work to do.” He turned and started walking away once more, knowing that Sam wouldn’t stop him again. Tears pricked his eyes, but he knew that this was the way things had to be.

As Gabriel walked away, Sam stood still, not sure what to make of what had just happened. Gabriel had never just used his name without turning it into some kind of nickname, and it could only mean that something was seriously wrong. It was enough that Sam was leaving, but for Gabriel to be so distant made everything hurt even more. Sam sighed and stopped by the breakroom to grab the van keys. Maybe Gabriel was just stressed out with Cas opening the new location. It was probably better to leave him be anyway. Sam smiled. He’d come back around.

***

Gabriel sat in his station wagon, parked behind the nursery, staring at his steering wheel. He had been trying for 10 minutes to will himself to go inside, but all he had managed to do was unlock his door. It was Sam’s last day. The day that wasn’t supposed to come. At least, Gabriel had pretended for two years it would never come. He looked down at the bottle of whiskey he had packed in his bag. There was no doubt he was gonna need that today. Gabriel pulled it out and took a swig, wincing slightly at the burn as it went down his throat. He put the bottle back and finally mustered the courage to open the door and get out of the car. All he had to do was get to his office and he could hole up in there for the rest of the day. Or week. Or year. Gabriel shrugged his bag back up on his shoulder a bit more, then headed into the nursery. He noticed no one in the hallway and breathed out a sigh of relief. Just a few more yard to his office. Just—

“Gabriel!”

No, no, no, no—

“Hey, good morning,” Sam jogged past him, then stopped where Gabriel had no choice but to look up and see him. Of course he was smiling. He was going to the college of his fucking dreams.

“Hi,” Gabriel mumbled, ducking his head and moving to get past Sam.

“Woah,” Sam grabbed his shoulder. “You feeling okay?”

Gabriel tugged his shoulder back forcefully, dislodging it from Sam’s hand. “I’m fine. Just leave me alone.”

Sam stepped to the side, and dropped his hand, letting Gabriel pass. “Can we talk later?”

The only answer Sam received was the slam of Gabriel’s office door.

***

Gabriel’s vision was swimming as he stared at his computer screen. A playlist of cute puppy videos was playing in an attempt to cheer him up, but all they did was keep reminding him of Sam. Every time he thought of Sam, he took a drink. He lifted the mostly empty bottle up in front of him, certain he would need to stop and get another bottle on his way home. Fuck. There was no way he could drive home. Gabriel pulled out his phone and did his best to pull up the uber app. A knock at his door caused him to look up and he called them in out of habit.

“Hey, Gabriel,” Sam said softly, poking his head in. “I’m about to head out, but I really wanted to talk.”

Gabriel turned back to his phone, motivated and desperate to get a ride as soon as possible. “Yeah, fine.”

“Awesome,” Sam stepped the rest of the way into the office and closed the door behind him. “So, I haven’t gotten a chance to—have you been drinking?” He walked up to the desk and grabbed the bottle of whiskey.

“Maybe,” Gabriel mumbled. “Why do you care?”

“Uh, because you’re at work and if Cas found out, he’d kill you,” Sam explained, moving the bottle away from Gabriel. “What the hell were you thinking?”

“I don’t know,  _ Sam _ ,” Gabriel hissed. “I was thinking that I’m your boss, and it’s none of your fucking business.”

Sam frowned and moved behind Gabriel’s desk. He grabbed Gabriel by the shoulders and lifted him to a standing position. “What has been up with you?” Sam bent down a little so they were face-to-face. “You’ve been avoiding me, you’ve been snapping at everyone, and now you’re spending the day locking in your office drinking?”

Gabriel swayed in Sam’s grip, the alcohol hitting much harder now that he was standing. “I…”

“Come on,” Sam insisted. “Out with it.”

“You’re leaving,” Gabriel blurted, ducking his head.

Sam furrowed his brow and cocked his head the slightest bit. “What?”

Gabriel sighed in frustration. “What the fuck do you want me to say, Sam? You’re leaving. You’re going off to college and leaving the nursery and leaving me behind.”

“Gabriel, I—“

“Don’t even fucking start, okay?” Gabriel spat, practically growling at Sam. “I’ve been quiet for two years and I can’t take it anymore. I’m so stupid in love with you I can barely function most days. Isn’t it funny though?” Gabriel chuckled. “Now that you’re leaving, that stupid rule doesn’t apply.”

Sam stared at Gabriel, gripping his shoulders probably harder than he should. “You’re drunk.”

“And?” Gabriel swayed a little. “What did you expect? The dude I want to marry, like man of my dreams is running off and I’m never gonna see him again.”

“Don’t be stupid, you’ll see me again,” Sam assured.

“After you come back here with a nice piece of arm candy who’s probably an art major or something?” Gabriel scoffed. “Is it the college thing? I can go back to college. I can do the art thing too…I mean I can’t draw but—“

“Gabriel, stop,” Sam ordered. “You need to go home and sleep this off. Come on.” He grabbed Gabriel’s bag and marched him out of his office. They made it out of the nursery and Sam guided Gabriel to his station wagon. “And there we are,” Sam smiled as Gabriel plopped himself into the passenger seat. He went around the car and climbed into the driver’s seat before digging through Gabriel’s bag to find his keys.

“Do you hate me?” Gabriel asked, turning his head to face Sam.

Sam finally found the keys and turned the car on. “No, I don’t hate you.”

“I’m such a creep though,” Gabriel stuck out his tongue. “I’m like five years older than you, at least.”

Sam chuckled as he drove out of the parking lot. “It’s really alright.” Gabriel didn’t say anything after that and by the time Sam pulled into the apartment building, he was asleep, drooling on the headrest. Sam shut off the car and sat for a moment, taking in what Gabriel had said. Did he really love him? He looked over and tucked a loose strand of hair behind Gabriel’s ear. Unfortunately, it seemed like he would have to leave Gabriel in the car. Sam rifled through Gabriel’s bag again, looking for a slip of paper. When he found one, he quickly scribbled something on it and put it up in the visor. After a moment of staring at Gabriel, he bent down and placed a soft kiss against his temple before leaving the car.

***

Gabriel groaned as he slowly started coming to consciousness, a headache starting to form behind his eyes almost immediately. He attempted to stretch and realized very quickly that he was still in his car and sore everywhere.

“Fuuuuck,” Gabriel whined as he sat up, running a hand through his hair. He looked up and saw that he was in the parking lot of his apartment building. A squirrel stared at him from on top of the hood of his car. “Fuck off, and judge someone else,” he sneered at it, causing it to run away. Slowly, yesterday’s events started to filter into his memory, and he reached for his phone as fast as possible. Dead. Of course. His charger was back at the office and Sam wouldn’t know to grab it. Sam. He had to get a hold of Sam as quick as possible. He opened his door and jumped out to run around to the other side and get into the driver’s seat. After turning the car back on, he pulled down the visor and noticed a slip of paper fall into his lap.

“Meet me at your office. –Sam,” was all it said.

Gabriel hit his head against the steering wheel, causing his headache to hurt even more. God, he was such a fucking idiot. He dug around in his bag for a bottle of aspirin and popped two before going back to figuring out what the fuck he was going to do about what he had said to Sam. The car was still running and he sighed. Might as well get it over with. He shifted into gear and drove back to the nursery.

Gabriel was feeling some serious déjà vu as he sat in his car, working to find the motivation to get out of his car and go to his office. Only this time, Sam was waiting for him, and he didn’t have any whiskey to ease the way. What do you even say to someone you accidently confessed to loving for two years? Maybe if his phone wasn’t dead, he could google it. There might be a wikihow. That train of thought almost convinced Gabriel to go home and search for the right answer, but he knew that the only real one was inside, standing in his office, waiting for him.

Finally, Gabriel got out of the car and walked to his office, probably slower than anyone ever had in the history of ever. He stopped at the door and took a breath before stepping in and closing the door behind him. This was it.

“Listen, Sam, I’m so sorry, I—“

Sam was leaning against his desk, playing with a name plate. Gabriel looked down and noticed his was still in place. He looked up at Sam, confused, until he flipped the plate to show the name. “Sam Winchester: Co-Manager.”            

            “Cas asked me about the promotion about a week ago but, I hadn’t gotten a chance to tell you since you’d been so distant,” Sam smirked at the dumbstruck look on Gabriel’s face.

             “So, you’re…” Gabriel was still trying to process all the new information that was flooding his brain.

            “Not leaving,” Sam finished, setting his name plate down next to Gabriel’s.

           “What about college?” Gabriel asked.

            “I worked it out with Cas and we found out I could do my lab work here and take classes online,” Sam smiled. “When I graduate, he was even talking about giving me a nursery of my own. I was trying to tell you yesterday, but you were...not yourself.”

            Gabriel flushed and ran a hand through his hair. “I know. It’s probably really weird for you and I understand if you’re not interested but—“

            Sam stepped forward and placed a hand on each side of Gabriel’s face. “Stop.” Gabriel closed his mouth at the direction and stared into Sam’s eyes. “I love you too, you dork. When Cas told me about the position, he wasn’t very subtle about making sure I knew that the fraternization rule didn’t apply to you now that I was a manager.”

           “You mean…?”

            “Yeah.”

            Gabriel surged forward, his lips colliding with Sam’s, and the only thought in his mind was  _ Finally _ . He was certain that the handful of mints he had on his way to work only barely covered his hangover breath, but it seemed like Sam didn’t care. Gabriel opened his mouth to him and Sam’s tongue dove in, teasing behind the back of his teeth, causing him to let out a soft moan. He felt Sam’s hands move to wrap around his body and pull him closer until their fronts were flush against each other. Gabriel groaned as he felt Sam’s length harden and twitch against his lower belly.

            “On the desk,” Gabriel breathed, pulling away for just a second. Sam nodded and moved his hands under Gabriel’s ass before picking him up and spinning them around to place Gabriel on the edge of the desk. Gabriel quickly wrapped his legs around Sam’s body, unabashedly grinding against the hard planes of muscle Sam had.

            “Fuck, Gabriel, you have no idea…” Sam panted, his hands sneaking under Gabriel’s shirt and hiking it up. “Two fucking years…” Gabriel pulled away as Sam was talking, mouthing and nipping at the length of Sam’s neck. He found a spot he liked and bit down, causing Sam to cry out a little. Gabriel sucked until he was satisfied, then softly lapped at it to ease the pain.

            “Never gonna let you go,” Gabriel explained. “You’re mine, Winchester.”

            Sam chuckled and nudged at Gabriel’s head to make him look up. “I don’t want to be anyone else’s.” He kissed Gabriel again, unable to get enough. “Gabe, can I...?”

             “Swear to god, if you don’t fuck me right here, right now, on this desk, I’m taking it all back,” Gabriel threatened.

             “No, you won’t,” Sam teased.

             “Well, I’d be very, very grumpy all day, and no one wants that,” Gabriel amended, pushing his hips into Sam’s, causing him to groan.

             “I suppose if it’s for the good of the business,” Sam smiled and reached around to grab something out of his back pocket. He found what he was looking for and held up a condom and a packet of lube before setting it to the side.

             Gabriel smirked. “You were planning this, you little shit.”

             Sam leaned in for another kiss. “I think you’ll find I’m not very little.”

             Gabriel moaned at the thought, then looked behind him to see what was on the desk that could easily be moved. He pushed off any extra papers and a few office supplies before he was satisfied he had enough room to lay back. Sam eased him down, bunching Gabriel’s shirt up and peppering kisses down his chest. He reached the top of Gabriel’s waistband and licked at the strip of skin he had been dying to get at for over a year. Gabriel moaned above him and he grinned as he unbuttoned Gabriel’s shorts and pulled them down, freeing his erection. Sam let the clothing fall to the floor before he knelt down and turned to lavish attention on Gabriel’s length.

             “Oh, fuck, Sam…” Gabriel gasped as Sam took Gabriel in his mouth, fitting as much as he could. He felt Gabriel’s hand sneak into his hair and he moaned at the soft tugs. Gabriel was pretty sure he had had this exact dream at least three times, but the real thing was better than anything he could have ever imagined on his own. Sam sucked Gabriel’s cock like he was made for it, somehow knowing exactly what he wanted. His hand tightened in Sam’s hair and Sam pulled off, not wanting to end things quite yet. Sam stood up and leaned over Gabriel, bending down to kiss him again. Gabriel whined at how he could taste himself on Sam’s tongue and thrust up in an attempt to get more friction.

             “Shh…” Sam whispered, pulling away and pressing a finger against Gabriel’s lips. Gabriel opened his mouth and licked, pulling it into his mouth and sucking. “God, you are so perfect,” Sam gasped, giving Gabriel a second finger to suck on. He moved his other hand down the side of Gabriel’s body, savoring the soft texture of his skin and pulling one of his legs up to rest on his shoulder. When he felt they were nice and wet, Sam pulled his fingers out of Gabriel’s mouth and used them to circle Gabriel’s rim.

              Gabriel moaned at the touch, squeezing his eyes shut at the sensation. It had been so long, but Sam was so worth waiting for. He cried out as the first finger breeched him, but quickly relaxed around it and readied himself for more.

             “Not as tight as I expected,” Sam commented before grabbing the packet of lube with one hand and ripping it open with his teeth. He spat the corner out onto the floor and licked away the small residue that squeezed out. “Do you do this to yourself at home?”

“Only when I’m thinking of you,” Gabriel smirked before it was wiped away as Sam worked another finger into him with the lube. “Wanted it to be you.”

“I did, too,” Sam admitted, rubbing circles into Gabriel’s thigh as he opened him up. “I’ve never wanted anyone as much as you.” He turned his head to kiss the inside of Gabriel’s calf. “I never loved anyone before you.”

“Sam…” Gabriel closed his eyes as Sam finally worked a third finger into him. “Now, please. I need you.”

Sam nodded and kissed Gabriel’s calf again before withdrawing his fingers and reaching for the condom. He quickly unzipped his shorts and pushed them down, gasping a little as his cock hit the fresh air. After a couple strokes, he reached for the condom and unwrapped it, then rolled it on. Sam squeezed out the rest of the lube packet and slicked himself up before stepping forward a little and lightly pressing against Gabriel’s rim.

“Ready?”

“Yeah. I fucking love you.”

“I fucking love you too.”

Sam pushed in slowly at first, gaging how fast he should go by how scrunched up Gabriel’s face was. When he was finally in all the way, he leaned over Gabriel, kissing him desperately. Sam moved his hands up Gabriel’s torso, ending in grasping Gabriel’s shoulders from behind as he did the same. They were too close to be face to face, so Sam peppered kisses and nipped at Gabriel’s shoulder as he started to move out and slam back into Gabriel.

“So fucking good, Sam,” Gabriel moaned, panting against his ear. “Feel so fucking perfect. Wish I could keep you in me forever.”

Sam just grunted in response, pretty certain he was unable to form words as he pounded into Gabriel’s tight heat. He tilted Gabriel up, so that he was in a sitting position and clawed at Gabriel’s back, certain he was going to leave marks.

“Right there!” Gabriel cried out as the new position made Sam hit his prostate on every thrust. “Oh fuck, Sam, I’m so close…”

Sam sped up, feeling his climax building as well. After a few more thrusts, he felt Gabriel tighten and come between them as he called out Sam’s name. The waves of Gabriel’s climax tipped him over the edge and he bit down on Gabriel’s shoulder moaning as he stilled deep inside Gabriel and came. Once he regained brain function, he detached himself from Gabriel’s shoulder, and licked at his teeth, tasting blood.

“I, um…” Sam panted. “Sorry about that.”

“Is it weird that I liked it?” Gabriel chuckled, leaning back to lie on the desk. “I don’t know, Sam. That was okay but...”

Sam’s grin immediately fell as he pulled out and took care of the condom. “What do you mean? I thought you said you liked it.”

“I just think we can do better,” Gabriel sat up and wrapped his arms around Sam’s neck. “Wanna try again tonight?”

Sam smacked Gabriel’s hip, but smirked. “Your place or mine, co-manager?”

 

```

The next day, Gabriel came into the office and saw a new bouquet of white roses, deep pink roses, and marshmallow plant placed in his vase. Next to it was an old, ragged journal with a worn label on it reading “Language of Flowers”.

**Author's Note:**

> Jasmine-I attach myself to you  
> Primrose-I can’t live without you  
> Soft Pink Petals (Maiden blush Roses)-If you love me, you will find out
> 
> Purple Pansies-You occupy my thoughts  
> Snowdrop-Hope  
> Red Tulips-Declaration of Love
> 
> Peruvian Lilies-Loyalty  
> Dog Rose-Pleasure and Pain  
> Ivy-Friendship
> 
> Lemon Blossoms-Discretion  
> Snapdragons-Presumption
> 
> Motherwort-Concealed Love  
> Yellow Impatiens-Inpatient  
> Daffodil (Jonquil)-Desired Affection
> 
> Cowslip-You are my divinity  
> Larkspur-Levity  
> Yellow Tulips-Hopeless Love
> 
> Majoram-Delusion  
> Thistle-Audacity (An Intrusion)
> 
> Pasqueflower-You have no claims  
> Buttercups-Ingratitude  
> Tuberose-Dangerous Pleasures  
> Scarlet Geranium-Stupidity  
> Pomegranate-Foolishness
> 
> Tansy-I declare against you  
> Hydrangea-Heartless  
> Rue-Distain  
> Mistletoe-I will surmount all difficulties
> 
> Butterfly Weed-Let Me Go
> 
> Michaelmas Daisies-Farwell  
> Forget-Me-Nots-(What it says on the package)  
> Pink Carnations-I will never forget you
> 
> White Roses-I am worthy of you  
> Deep Pink Roses-Thank you for being in my life  
> Marshmallow Plant-Consumed by love


End file.
